Istanbul

Another New Year’s getaway trip, this time to the biggest city in Europe. I have to admit, I had some thoughts beforehand regarding cultural differences (which I normally never have), but I was proven wrong after only a few hours. Nice and open-minded people, as well as warm welcomes everywhere. I immediately loved it.

It is now possible to fly to Istanbul directly from Graz Airport, which made the trip to the city itself a walk in the park. After only two hours, touchdown at Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

Istanbul has two airports, both of them located far outside the city, so it was quite an easy but long trip to get downtown. Although public transport is really cheap, make sure to get your “Istanbul Card” (which you can also use for all the ferries on the Bosphorus) right at the subway station at the airport and load around 10 Euro onto it - you won’t need more for a 3–5 day trip.

Our Airbnb was located in Galata, a nice, quiet neighborhood but still right in the center, close to the main river, subways, the harbor, and Galata Tower, which is an attraction itself. This area is surrounded by many restaurants, bars, small cafés, and tons of urban art shops. I was quite impressed by how urban this whole place felt. Some streets felt like you were strolling through Berlin or Barcelona.

The area around the harbor seems to have been renewed just a couple of years ago. Very fancy, with a ton of security around. Still something you might want to check out while in Istanbul.

In the, let’s say, “not so modern” part close to Galata Bridge, you can get the best “Balık Ekmek” in town — a fish sandwich with heaps of lemon on it. I usually don’t really like seafood at all, but this thing...wow. Make your way across the Galata Bridge and watch fishermen trying to get the catch of the day. Especially in the evening hours, this scenery is so beautiful: the whole river is bathed in an incredible light, and in the distance, you can see the tall towers of the mosques on the other side of the city.

One thing you don’t want to miss on your trip is a little walk around Taksim Square. Considered the heart of the city on the European side of Istanbul, you will definitely stumble upon this area one day during your journey. Modern and traditional Istanbul meet in one place — old, solid hotels and restaurants right next to fancy new bars. Several shopping streets packed with tourists and locals lead to and from the square. To be honest, it was a bit too much for me. I checked out the reopened mosque (rebuilt in 2021) and took some photos before escaping into one of the narrow side streets. I’d say you have to see it once, but if you’re not really into crowded places, you might want to skip it. One eye-catcher for sure are the old subways, driving all around the square, take your time and try to get the perfect shot.

Speaking of taking pictures - one thing I really loved about Istanbul is that the city is also called “the cat city.” Something I wasn’t aware of before arriving. Over 125,000 stray cats live in the Turkish metropolis. The “Istanbullu” love their street cats, and most of them look way healthier than some house cats. They feed them daily and even build small houses for those felines.

On the other side of the bridges, a completely different Istanbul appears. Besides the masses of tourists and locals, you can tell that this area is much more conservative. I have to say, I didn’t really like the vibe, but I still wanted to see it. The Hagia Sophia is a really impressive building, but as expected, it’s very crowded. I didn’t really want to spend money on an entrance fee and wait in line, so I just strolled around the beautiful park area between the world-famous mosque and its “counterpart,” the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

If you’re into history and don’t mind spending a day looking at historic sites, this might be a great place for you - otherwise, I think there are much cooler things to explore in Istanbul.

What I was really looking forward to was the Grand Bazaar. Unfortunately, this place was a bit of a disappointment. In my imagination, I was strolling through it, tasting all kinds of amazing Turkish spices and other food while being approached by market vendors (Asian style) trying to sell their handcrafted goods. Reality check — if you’re looking for fake Louis Vuitton or Prada bags, this is the place to be.

Accordingly, the crowd reflects that as well - a lot of people trying to look wealthy and fashionable but who probably can’t afford the originals. To be fair, the whole area around the bazaar and the Hagia Sophia is still a must-see when visiting Istanbul. I would recommend spending a full day in this part of the city to really take it all in. If your travel style is similar to mine, half a day is more than enough.

One part of Istanbul I absolutely fell in love with was Balat. Located on the same riverside as Sultanahmet, you immediately dive into a totally different side of the city. Far away from conservative - more like a small Berlin. Colorful houses, bistros, coffee shops, and a very alternative crowd were what I noticed at first sight.

The district is a bit hidden away, set past the shores of Eminönü along the Golden Horn. It’s quite close to the metro stop along the Golden Horn (called Haliç in Turkish) and within comfortable walking distance. Right after my arrival, I hopped into one of the typical Turkish restaurants and once again had some incredibly good food. I have to say it again - I really enjoyed the cuisine in this country. Of course, you often get a lot of meat, but the sides and spices that come with it are just out of this world. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it was located on Vodina Road. In this area, you’ll find heaps of great places for lunch.

Pretty much every corner surprises you with something new colorful houses, murals, and graffiti art everywhere. If you’ve read some of my other travel stories, you already know that these kinds of areas are my favorites in every city I visit.

After strolling around for quite a while, I stopped at a place called “Nomadz House” for cake and coffee. Make sure to try some of the homemade sweets they offer. Like I said before, this really didn’t feel like Turkey - it had more of a French or Italian flair.

“Renkli Merdivenler” - the colorful stairs — was where I headed next. Spoiler: Tons of tourists and not that exciting at all. I’d recommend skipping this spot and instead spending more time exploring the narrow streets with all the hidden gems and artwork you can find in Balat.

As mentioned at the beginning, I stayed in Galata - on a street not far from the Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi).

The tower itself is, of course, packed with tourists and visitors. I didn’t even check the prices to go up because, let’s be honest, I’ve been on towers before. Still, you might want to check it out - I’m sure you’ll get a pretty great view over the city from up there.

For me, this area was perfect, and I can highly recommend finding a place to stay here if you’re visiting Istanbul. All public transport is nearby, there are plenty of great restaurants and cafés, and you’ll also find supermarkets and some shopping options.

It’s full of small start-up shops selling clothes and handmade accessories. Go and support the locals, they are super friendly and always take plenty of time to show you around.

Our go-to restaurant was “Lily’s Restaurant,” right next to the tower. The owners are incredibly friendly, and the typical Turkish food was amazing. For coffee and cake, I recommend heading down to Cihangir, where you’ll find a tiny little coffee shop called “Clouds Coffee.” They have amazing homemade sweets, and the surrounding area is perfect if you’re into graffiti and street art.

Since I’m more of a “day-drinking kind of guy,” I can’t really give you solid advice on nightlife in Istanbul, but here are a few places I enjoyed hanging out: “Raskol,” a cocktail bar; “The Temple Irish Bar,” a nice little pub; and “The Wolf” another pub-style spot. All of these places are located in Karaköy, which was pretty much the only area I went out to during my time in the city.

To keep it short: if you look up Bosphorus tours, you’ll find hundreds of websites basically selling the same thing - a cruise along the Bosphorus, some food, sometimes free drinks, and typical Turkish dances and/or entertainment on the boat. Sunset trips are even more expensive than daytime ones. To be honest, not really my thing.

If you still want to hop on a boat and see the city from the water, just use your “Istanbul Card,” walk down to Karaköy Pier, and jump on one of the ferries to Harem, which run quite frequently. On your way to the Asian side of the city, you’ll pass not only beautiful mosques visible from a distance but also the “Kız Kulesi,” a small lighthouse in the strait.

Harem is quite laid-back. For me, the trip was mainly about the 45-minute boat ride, so I just had a coffee & some cake over there, checked out some street art, and took the ferry back to the European side. By doing this, I saved some money and still got to see pretty much the same things you’d experience on a tour anyway.

• Take the opportunity to visit two continents in one day
• Try Balık Ekmek and turkish tea
• Visit Balat and search for hidden street art
• Spend and evening on the Galata bridge
• Enjoy the different culture in one of the enormous mosques